L.E.V.E.L.™ Response Training (October is DV Awareness Month)

BLOOM365 presents the L.E.V.E.L. Response Training for "Natural Helpers"

Elevate your skills to prevent and respond to interpersonal violence, with a special focus on supporting teen and young adult survivors of domestic/sexual violence.

• Sunday, October 12, 2025
• 1:00 pm-5:00 pm
• In Person- BLOOM365, Phoenix

ABOUT THE L.E.V.E.L.™ RESPONSE TRAINING: The BLOOM365 L.E.V.E.L.™ Response Training is a public education program to prepare “natural helpers” to provide non-judgmental support to young people witnessing or experiencing interpersonal violence (dating abuse, domestic violence, sexual violence, stalking). The training teaches natural helpers, such as parents, caregivers, teachers, coaches, mentors, and other trusted adults on how to effectively L.E.V.E.L. ™ with Gen Z youth through listening, empathizing, validating, encouraging and linking to resources.

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT: The L.E.V.E.L.™ Response Training utilizes various adult learning styles to demonstrate how to provide initial help and connect young people to peer support, professional advocacy and/or self-care resources. This 4-hour synchronous L.E.V.E.L.™ course engages participants in guided discussions and role play activities to unpack nuanced material and deepen understanding of youth interpersonal violence prevention and response. The training is delivered through PowerPoints, videos, white boards, hands on activities, and infographics to ensure adult learners are able process and apply the information received.

This baseline advocacy training is required for all BLOOM365 employees, interns, contract service providers and volunteers.

WHAT WILL YOU LEARN?: The L.E.V.E.L.™ Response Training teaches participants how to support young people who have experienced interpersonal violence victimization by activating a 5-step response plan called L.E.V.E.L.™:

Listen

Empathize

Validate

Encourage

Link to resources

The L.E.V.E.L.™ curriculum is primarily focused on tangible tools participants can use to help youth and young people, ages 11-24, who have witnessed or experienced one or more types of interpersonal violence. The training also includes a comprehensive toolkit with information on the risk factors and red flags of youth interpersonal violence.

WHO SHOULD KNOW HOW TO L.E.V.E.L.™?: The training is designed for “natural helpers," or the trusted adults who regularly interact with young people (parents, caregivers, teachers, school staff, coaches, youth group leaders, mentors, etc.), as well as teen and young adult peers. A L.E.V.E.L.™ conversation with a young person going through victimization could make all the difference by preventing feelings of isolation, shame and fear. You don’t have to be an expert to L.E.V.E.L.™ and provide help. It’s all about nonjudgmental support, absent of advice giving and opinion.

BACKGROUND: Teen and young adult victims and survivors of Interpersonal Violence (IPV) are reluctant to seek help. According to the Urban Institute (2018), only 10% of youth victims reach out to informal, formal, or professional sources of help (teachers, counselors, case workers, police). Most do not seek help due to the barriers of stigma, wanting to maintain privacy, lack of knowledge about resources, and not recognizing violent acts as worthy of intervention. National Institute of Justice studies further indicate that these help seeking barriers are even more significant for underserved youth, which includes teen boys, LGBTQ+ youth, youth with disabilities and youth who have limited English proficiency. Although students who have experienced IPV victimization have contact with a range of “trusted adults” throughout the course of a school day, 80% say they would rely on a friend or a peer rather than professional support services (BLOOM365 Survey, 2012-2019).

The L.E.V.E.L.™ response strategy is based on the notion that those closest to the problem have the clearest solution and that young people are safer when they are connected to supportive peers, adults and communities who know how to appropriately respond to disclosures of victimization. How a peer, trusted adult or other “natural helper” responds to disclosures of victimization can have a profound effect on safety, healing and willingness to reach out for help.

Also check out other Workshops in Phoenix.